Depression and anxiety are most common in people between the ages of 18-29. The second-most common age range is 17 and under. The most worrying part is that these are new, growing statistics. So why is it so common in teenagers? Why are people more depressed and anxious than they were 30 years ago, and what can we do to stop it?
The Rise of Teenage Depression
Teenage depression is nothing new. According to a study done by Cambridge University, depression rates increased significantly in the United States from 2005 – 2015, and the rate in which this increase took place was the highest in teenagers. So why is this? Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist and author of “The Anxious Generation”, offers some insight. “The first clue is that the rise is concentrated in disorders related to anxiety and depression, which are classed together in the psychiatric category known as internalizing disorders” (The Anxious Generation 25). There are many clashing ideas on what exactly is to blame for these internalizing disorders. A study by Brandon H. Hidaka, titled “Depression as a Disease of Modernity: Explanations for Increasing Prevalence”, claims that people are depressed because of all the bad things that have happened in the 21st century. However, Haidt points out that threats faced as a society aren’t the cause of depression: Depression happens when someone starts to feel isolated.
The Isolating Effect of Smartphones
Most researchers agree that the biggest factor in the rise of these internalizing disorders is smartphones. One of Trinity’s local experts on this phenomenon is Dr. Aaron Striegel. “The biggest culprit is when the internet became available on cell phones. It increased huge issues with student mental health because they are always on. There’s never any downtime. So your phone in your pocket is connected to everything on the internet and all the apps and everything else that comes with it. And so students constantly feel like they always have to be on their phone.” It seems that the timeline adds up too. Facebook launched in 2004, which marked the beginning of mainstream social media. Social media really started to climb in 2011, which is exactly when depression and anxiety rates started to climb as well. It is apparent that there is a correlation between the popularity of social media and the rate of depression in teenagers.
Mental Health in High School
Trinity High School is no different from anywhere else when it comes to mental health. Mrs. Emily Waford, a freshman counselor at Trinity, was asked what she thinks is the rough amount of people suffering from mental health issues at Trinity. “It depends on how you define it. If you are talking about actual, diagnosed issues or problems, I’m just kind of ballparking, but I would say it would be close to 25 to 40 percent. If you are defining mental health issues as things that need attention and support, that people deal with as adolescents, I would say 100 percent.” We can’t say for certain how many students may be suffering from mental illness and how up to date their diagnoses may be, but if it is true that 25% of students are currently diagnosed, a rough estimate of 300 Trinity students may be seeing a therapist or taking medication to deal with their mental health.
According to Dr. Striegel, mental health issues are under-discussed among male adolescents especially because there is a societal pressure for young men to suffer in silence. “When you think about it, what’s the one emotion that guys are allowed to express? It’s usually anger. If a guy cries or something, then people try to label him, they start calling him names and stuff like that. So guys aren’t as open to show their emotions as females are.” Of course women are just as susceptible to these same feelings. The most common causes for depressive feelings among students at Trinity High School are toxic perfectionism, stress, and peer pressure. These feelings cause students to seek isolation, and this isolation leads to these mental health issues turning into a sort of silent battle because students are scared to speak up for themselves, leading them to feel like they are alone. They need to know that they aren’t alone.
How can Trinity help fix the crisis?
The biggest way to stop the mental health epidemic in high schools is awareness. There are many signs that someone is suffering from mental health issues. According to Mrs. Waford, “There’s a kind of drastic change in performance and behavior, how engaged a student is in class, their hygiene… A lot of times the parent will say, ‘My son comes home and then he just sleeps. He just wants to sleep, he’s not getting his work done. I have a hard time keeping him awake after school.’”
Actions that can help improve mental health include limiting social media use, making sure to take breaks from screens, and getting enough sleep and exercise.
Trinity has many resources that can help with mental health issues, including people to talk to. Mrs. Waford is the freshman counselor for Academic and Honors students, Mr. Logan is the sophomore counselor for Academic and Honors students, Mr. Magre is the junior & senior counselor for Academic and Honors students, Mrs. Simpson is the Counselor for Traditional freshman through seniors and Dr. Striegel is the Advanced program counselor for freshmen through seniors. All are available for students.
If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, seek help. The free suicide hotline is 988, you can call or text them. If you are in an emergency situation, call 911.
